PCT Day 51-58

Views! Views! Views! The Sierras have been packed with breathtaking views. (Quite literally, we get to the top of the climb and are out of breath, HA!) I have been lucky enough that I have not had to deal with too much snow for most passes except one...Muir Pass.

The day started off like any other day except it was a little more cloudy. We were actually thankful for the break in weather and enjoyed the change in the atmosphere. Once we sat down for lunch however, things got a little crazy. The wind picked up and eventually it started to sleet. We figured it would pass. It didn't. About 1 hour later the visibility diminished and we couldn't see any of the peaks anymore. Soon the trail was covered in snow. This was when I became very thankful I had done a mountaineering course back in February. Myself and one of my friends decided we would put up our tents and wait out the storm. It was only 2 pm so we would still have time to get to the top if the storm ended soon. Lucky for us it did!

While there was still plenty of snow both before the storm and after, the skies were blue and we could make our way to the top. An ice axe was not needed but micro spikes were extremely helpful! We got to the top and spent the night in the hut with 12 other people! It was cozy :)

The following days we had many more beautiful lake views. It wasn't until I started hiking the PCT that I realized how blue water can actually be.

We are starting to hear reports of bear sightings. Thankfully I have not seen any. Black bears in this area aren't too big of an issue as long as you don't mess with them. The main thing they want is your food! To counteract this, we all carry tough plastic bear canisters that lock. While it is an extra 2 pounds, it is nice to just put all your smellables in one container and just set it aside rather than having to hang a bear bag.

We hit 900 miles as well! Stay tuned as we come up on 2 months on trail.

Till next update,

-Pickle

P.S. Free donuts are the best donuts!